The invention relates to a recording apparatus for a drivable record carrier which is adapted to cooperate with at least one scanning element of the apparatus and which can be moved past the scanning element. The which apparatus comprises a marking device for selectively forming line-shaped marks of different types on a marking carrier, which marks indicate an instantaneous relative position between the record carrier and the scanning element which marking device comprises at least one marking element which can be driven in synchronism with the relative movement between the record carrier and the scanning element. The marking device is guided along a line to form line-shaped marks, and which can be moved to and fro by means of an actuating device perpendicularly from the line in a first direction perpendicular to said line and in a second direction opposite to said first direction. The actuating device moves the marking element in the first direction to make a mark of a first type and in the second direction to make a mark of a second type, the marks of the first type and the second type being formed by strokes which extend transversely of the line in one of the two directions
A known apparatus of this type is commercially available as a dictation machine constructed to receive a cassette containing a record-carrier in the form of a magnetic tape. At each of its two main sides the cassette carries a strip-shaped marking carrier which contains magnetically orientable particles and which can be provided with line-shaped marks by means of a marking element which forms part of a marking device of the machine. The marking device has a thin rod-shaped permanent magnet which is actuated by an actuating device in the apparatus. When the magnetic tape is driven, the marking element in the known apparatus is moved over the marking carrier in synchronism with the tape and along a line which extends in the longitudinal direction of the marking-carrier strip, causing the marking element to form a continuous line on the marking carrier in the longitudinal direction of the strip. The known apparatus enables marks of a first type, designating the end of a dictation on the magnetic tape, to be made on the marking carrier by means of the marking element by moving this element to and fro in order to form strokes which extend exclusively in the first direction to one side and transversely of the continuous line. Marks of a second type, which designate a dictated passage on the magnetic tape for which a dictator wishes to give a special instruction, such as for example an insert or a correction to the dictation, can be made on the marking carrier by means of the marking element by another to-and-fro movement of this element to form strokes which extend exclusively in the second direction to one side and transversely of the continuous line. In this prior-art apparatus the possibilities of making marks on the marking carrier are limited because only these two types of marks can be made on the marking carrier. In practice, this imposes an undesirable limitation on the use of such an apparatus because it is found that further types of marks are required which cannot be realized by means of the prior-art apparatus.